MENOPAUSE and MHT (HRT or Hormone replacement Therapy is now termed Menopausal Hormone Therapy)
Menopause is defined as cessation of the menstrual cycle for more than one year. Perimenopause is the period of transition that is often characterized by menopausal symptoms, irregular periods and physical changes to a woman’s body.
Menopause (and its symptoms) can be brought on by surgery (such as removal of the ovaries), medications or treatments (e.g. chemotherapy & pelvic radiotherapy) and can sometimes occurs prematurely due to genetic factors or early ovarian failure (i.e. running out of oocytes/eggs in the ovaries).
It is important to remember that symptoms are not the same in everyone. There is a wide range of how women respond to this change in their lives: some don’t experience any changes, some have mild, easily manageable symptoms whilst others are very affected. Whilst this is usually a temporary period (around 3-5 years), a small proportion of women experience longer term effects. The latter group often needs ongoing medical therapy with appropriate surveillance.
At AGSC, we will discuss your symptoms and management options, including the risks and benefits of each, in detail during your appointment. In the meantime, we invite you to browse some dependable resources which we have included here.
The following links have some excellent information and summaries of commonly asked questions and treatment options:
Australasian Menopause Society and the Jean Hailes Foundations (a non-for-profit women’s health centre in Melbourne).
We have taken the liberty of including some information here on commonly asked questions about the risks of hormonal management of menopause.
